Page 14 - David Coles Australian Military Aircraft Book Interior Sample

6
The
Aircraft
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY BE.2
V
As aerial fighting was not a concept in 1912, the aircraft was made to be inherently stable - a good characteristic for a reconnaissance aircraft, but decid- edly bad for dog-fighting or defensive manoeuvring. Although later models of the BE.2 served well into 1917, it was basically obsolete by the end of 1915 and mainly used in secondary duties or on quieter fronts.
Australia’s first order of aircraft included two BE.2a airframes, which had the auspicious claim to being given the serial numbers CFS1 and 2: the first Australian military aircraft. The BE.2a had a very conventional construction for the time, with a wooden frame covered in fabric and equal-span wings employing wing warping for lateral control rather than ailerons. The pilot sat in the back seat, with the observer/passenger in front, surrounded by struts, wires, wings and the engine – not the perfect location to see anything from. However, in 1914, the aircraft was not only good for ‘advanced’ instruction, but it also became the best way for Petre to get into Werribee to pick up the mail (there was no formed road between Point Cook and Werribee until late 1915).
CFS 1 and 2 were both struck off charge in 1918 after fairly uneventful lives. One further BE.2 was oper- ated by CFS, sometimes referred to as CFS18, although this seems incorrect as the CFS18 serial number was worn by Farman Shorthorn A6867. The BE.2e never actually received a CFS number, keeping its British serial number B6183. The ‘E’ model differed from the earlier ‘A’ models in having a completely redesigned
Crew:
Wingspan:
Length:
Height:
Engine:
Max Speed:
Range:
Endurance:
Service Ceiling:
Armament:
Serial Numbers:
2
11.28m (37ft 0in) 8.31m (27ft 31⁄4in) 3.39m (11ft 1in)
1 x RAF 1A Air Cooled V8 piston engine – 70hp (52kW)
116km/h (72mph) 338km (210 miles) 3hr 15min
3,330m (10,000ft) Nil
CFS1, CFS2 (BE.2a) and B6183 (BE.2e)
irtually the JSF of its day, the BE.2 was a develop-
ment of the Royal Aircraft Factory’s BE.1, some- times referred to as the ‘Silent Army Aeroplane’. It was designed by Geoffrey de Havilland in 1911. When the first BE.2 flew on 1 February 1912, it was covered in a plain doped cloth that became translucent in the sunlight. Additionally, the Renault V-8 engine was very quiet, so the aircraft was quite difficult to see or hear from the standard battlefield when flying above 5000ft.
An early picture of one of the two BE.2s at Point Cook, the serial number has not yet been applied to the fuselage Australian Army Flying Museum
Type: RAF BE.2a Reconnaissance/Trainer
AUSTRALIAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT